Official Sony VAIO F Series i5/i7 owners thread *Part 5*

Just install the minimums I recommended, make a system image, then go from there. Use your machine, then try out another piece of software...

 

Good plan. I've gotten this far!

Question: Roxio doesn't appear in my list of software - but it was a part of the value added software, I think. I don't have a program to burn discs then... What has everyone else done, after getting rid of Roxio?

 

I got used to it when I'm working on the computer however when I sleep (and VAIO is working as it downloads files at night) it is SO DISTURBING! My GOD! When I only started to play on my VAIO f12 I couldn't feel good unless use a headphones.

 

ImgBurn for me. The Official ImgBurn Website

and here are some others- http://alternativeto.net/software/roxio-creator/

 

I frown upon Roxio for the reason that it has 2 processes running at all times. I believe one of them is to make sure that your copy is genuine. completely unnecessary. Try the recommended freeware.

 

Some of you might be interested in Paragon Drive Copy 10 Personal Special Edition which is available for free for a few more hours.

Free Paragon Drive Copy 10 Personal Special Edition

I like it a lot and have used it several time to create virtual machines from an old system so that I can use that system on another computer.

This is the full version and can be fully registered. The next version will be coming out soon though.

 

@anseio Just wondering if you maybe missed this post.

 

6 mths ago, displays and color calibration were all the topic in the owner's thread. I gleaned my information from all of that talk.

 

YouTube - Batman: Arkham Asylum on Sony_Vaio_F

Just for you

 

The 310m should be able to do so as well (just need to update the drivers to a more recent 25x.xx version)

 

I download latest driver from this site but it's not compatible my 425M , my current driver is 259.42 and it's very old driver !! , where can I download modded drivers for my 425M ?

 

The drivers are not compatible for a reason. They have to be able to function with the Sony hardware/software stuff (that's tech talk).

I modded a driver to make it installable for a few people. They installed it and had brightness issues when resuming from sleep or hibernate or something. That was a few months ago. It was troublesome to install and they saw no significant gain in performance. Both eventually reverted to the drivers that functioned fully.

Wait for the drivers to be released by NVIDIA.

I'm not a fan of the sharp angles on the new F. I like the roundness of our models.

 

Well, I'm hesitant to post this since I haven't had a chance to test anything, but I did successfully install the beta NVIDIA drivers at the link that Gandalf posted NVIDIA & Laptop News | Latest NVIDIA drivers and related news | laptopvideo2go.com

I choose the custom/clean install option. It took awhile to install and rebooted a few times but I did not have any problems. I'm not having the brightness problem after shutting off the display like on the modded 260 driver. But I haven't tried hibernation or sleep. I'm way too sick right now to run any tests or even to look at my screen for very long, so just putting that out there in case someone else wants to try on their GT 425, but of course, I'm not recommending or endorsing, etc, since it's a beta release and like I said haven't tested anything except the install and the display off bug.

 

Hey guys, just a question: you've been talking about 3D compatibility on the F, I checked the official nVidia site: 3D Vision Requirements
The 330m is under the 3D bluray capable cards, but don't you need a HDMI 1.4 port to view 3D? Doesn't the F have a 1.3 Port?
And if it is in fact possible, any software should be able to play 3D on the TV? like Power DVD or stuff like tha?

 

my f11m1e is laggy sometimes, and although running one click care seems to fix it, im tired of doing it EVERY 4-5 DAYS. It lags so often i'm not sure that it's just not defragmented. Is there any way to deal with this lag?

 

Lagging can be caused by a lot of things.
Some troubleshooting:
Did you do a clean install or are you still on the OEM install?
What programs autostart with Windows?
What Antivirus do you use?
Did you install the latest Intel RST driver: http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...storage-driver-10-1-0-1008-gets-official.html ?

 

And some additional things I would do:
-Check internet connection speed- Speedtest.net - The Global Broadband Speed Test
-Use a wired connection
-Try a different browser. Maybe disable all browser addons.
-Update everything. FileHippo.com Update Checker - FileHippo.com
-defrag
-Check resource monitor and process monitor to see if there is something unusual going on. Process Monitor
-Run Malwarebytes Malwarebytes
-Think about what changes you have recently done to your computer and uninstall or do a system restore to a point where you feel this was not happening.

Good luck.

 

I still have the OEM install.
I thinned out the list of Software that runs on Startup.
Microsoft Internet Security
How to check if i need this driver? Where to check what version I have?

Ill try running those two apps and see if i can find anything noticeable

This is not just the browser, but generally any software. I had to change my music software after it started looping the same 1 second every time it freezes. The simplest software can be displayed as not responding. All this no matter if it's idling or not

 

Device Manager > IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers > Intel SATA AHCI Controller > Driver

 

does it make a difference if it's called "Intel PCHM SATA AHCI Controller 6 Port"?

 

I gotta say I miss the barrel hinge but then again maybe not. It was a pain in the F12 and an even bigger pain in the SR where its 2x peice plastic with buttons recessed into it. Now it makes a cracking noise every time I tilt the screen back and the buttons don't push in half the time. It sure looked good though. :O

 

That's the one. Sorry, just abbreviated. I do not think this will make that much of a difference though. Have you checked you memory usage and processes? Sounds like something is running in the background or is hanging. For testing disable all of your anitivirus as well.

 

I deleted a few off-topic posts

Those that are interested in discussing the Vaio F 3D
Please continue the discussion in this thread

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/545653-new-sony-vaio-f-series-3d-laptop.html

 

I'm looking to get a second AC Adapter for my F. Has anyone tried one of these from eBay? It says "genuine" but I'm suspicious that it's a real Sony.

 

For $30 bucks I think I would go for it. Not sure about the 'genuine' as well but not such a critical component as long as the voltage is correct- right? My original is made in China as well- the sticker is vertical not horizontal.

 

Get the driver and the modded inf from their forum:
v266.35 Windows 7/Vista 64bit | NVIDIA Mobile / OEM Mobile - LaptopVideo2Go Forums
Read the FAQ how to install them: How to use the modded INF - LaptopVideo2Go Forums

 

It's even easier if they use the driver link to the GeForce page that's on the original link you posted previously. I did that and didn't even have to use modded INF files. Hopefully this means that Sony will be providing support for the final version of this driver for the 425 GPU. Here is the file I downloaded: GeForce.com - Get the Most Out of Your GPU
Ok, back to bed for me.

 

Hello,

I have a Sony Vaio F Series Model:VPC-F1190S

It actually has 4 GB of Memory RAM and I wanted to upgrade to 6 or 8 Gbytes.

So, which kind and model of memory I need to look?

Thanks
Alan

 

You want to look for Dual Channel DDR3-1333 SDRAM (9-9-9-24)

Samsung is the label on my memory, but any decent name brand will work. My guess is that you have a pair of 2GB sticks. If I was going to upgrade, I would only upgrade to a pair of matched 4GB sticks. In other woords, purchase a matched pair from Crucial.com or go to an online vendor such as tigerdirect.com and look for a matched pair with the above speed and timings.

 

Can somebody explain this to me?



What is "Flash Drive with Sata Interface" and why is it the same price as 256 Gb Solid State Drive even though it's 512 Gb itself?

More importantly, what are the benchmark differences?

 

Hi,

Big fan of this board and I read it all the time as I try to decide on an F13 configuration. I have a few questions that I hope someone can answer:

1. What are the screen resolution settings for the Premium HD screen? I'm worried that others who would be using the computer may find the the HD resolution too high on a 16.4" screen. Is it possible to reduce the resolution down to 1600 x 900 via NVidia or Windows 7 settings? Or should I just configure the computer with the 1600 x 900 screen?

2. Can the GT 425M gpu be overclocked?

3. The Australian website says that "All new model VAIO notebooks are DLNA certified" Sony VAIO Laptop & Computers : Sony Australia. Is this true for the North American F13?

4. What is the resolution of the embedded web-cam?

5. Previous posts claim that the embedded microphone caused a buzzing/whining sound. If I want to conduct a web chat and I turn the mic on, will I most likely be inconvenienced by this sound?

Thanks!

 

1. You can set it at lower than HD resolution but the screen with be crisper with the default HD res. What I would try first is to set it to default res (1920x1080) and use the display settings to change the text size to a comfortable size for your users and see how that works. If you have to, of course, you can set it lower but not to 1600x900. You can set 1680x1050 or 1440x900. But the above (text change) works for most people.

2. Yes.

3. My US F13 did not have a DLNA certified sticker and there is no mention of it on the US F Sony webpage so I would assume it is not certified but you can contact Sony to be sure.

4. The web cam image is poor in my opinion but I don't use it anyway. I believe it is 640x480. Edit: I have verified this res. on my laptop.

5. I don't have the microphone buzzing and don't recall anyone with an F13 that does. However, since I don't have it, I haven't been paying close attention to all posts about it, so I could be wrong. I have not change any mic settings on my computer. I also have not used my microphone for any reason.

 

Hi!

1 - You are most certainly able to change the resolution down to 1600x900, but you can also just change the text settings in Windows to make the text larger. That's what I would do, if I could have afforded the HD. But mine was on sale at a phenomenal price.

2. I do believe that the 425M can be overclocked. You may need to download NVIDIA system tools 6.02 or 6.03 to be able to do it from the NVIDIA Control Panel program that comes with the NVIDIA drivers

3) No clue, sorry.

$. Even less of a clue. Even more sorry.

five: Not too many complaints of that these days. I know that my particular F11 never experienced this problem. You should not have problems, but don't quote me on that, cuz I haven't tried to know.

Good luck!

 

You got these newer drivers to work without the problems we had before? Does the display button and everything else work as it should??

 

I haven't encountered any problems. The display on/off works regardless of brightness setting. I am very sick and haven't been able to test thoroughly. Any movement at all on the screen makes me very ill so I can't run videos, games, display tests. Just to reload this webpage, I have to close my eyes to do so because I am so nauseated, so I can't give a full endorsement - can only say I haven't encountered any problems, including the ones I experienced on the modded 260 driver.

 

Hope you feel better soon.

 

Hey Guys! need a little help here with over clocking my GPU:/
Ive tried doing it with the 197. driver for the F11 (as shown here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/son...ate-197-16-gt-330m-10de-0a29.html#post6092381) and the updated driver from esupport.sony.com.
Ive used the following instructions: http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-compaq/451877-how-overclock-nvidia-gt2xx-gt3xx.html#post5749575
and tried the following settings: http://forum.notebookreview.com/gam...n-i-overclock-nvidia-gt-330m-pros-cons-3.html

When playing NFS hot pursuit, i used to get 24-26fps, now im getting 12:S what did i do wrong??

 

I guess first, so that someone with that GPU who overclocks knows, what did you change them to?

I overclock my 310 using NVIDIA System Tools 6.02 and it works decently, since I don't really know any better. After installing, just the performance application, you can skip the other two if you want, open up the NVIDIA Control Panel and click the performance link for the end user agreement. From there, you can create and save different profiles.

As for as how much to overclock? I start with 10% on each setting, then play for a while and see if it's stable. Right now, I'm playing Final Fantasy XII on the pcsx2 emulator for Playstation 2. I decided that 10% wasn't enough, so I pushed to 15%. Then, I pushed to 20% and it crashed after about 30 or so minutes of game play. That's how I know that 20% is too much. I've made a profile at 17% increase and everything seems to be running smoothly.

 

Thanks a lot anseio! I'll try your method. I'm going to start by downloading 260.89. I already have nVidia system tools but version 6.5, does it make any difference? As for the settings that I've used, i just copy pasted the numbers in the link that i put above... But I'm going to try to do it by putting in 10% more...

 

I've tried your method and it's working!! XD having like 34-36 fps!!! My settings are: 631-864-1528. I ran FurMark stability test(1920x1080 Xtreme burning mode, Not full screen) and i got 88Deg C after 7 minutes in a non well ventilated position!! Is that too much? after placing the pc in a well ventilated position i got like 83Deg....

 

Thank you jpride and anseio for your answers.

So, reducing the resolution settings shouldn't be a problem (I know that something manufacturers restrict which settings can be used) and I'm happy to know that the settings can be changed if needed. I'm hoping that the allegedly better HD screen will provide a better experience overall.

 

I would also keep it at full resolution and recommend FF add-on NoSquint.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2592/

 

Just updated geforce driver and have no issues
downloaded from site no hacking/moding
no issues with brightness or turn off display or sleep....
will do some tests on speed improvement later

edit: oh btw
http://www.geforce.com/#/Drivers/Results/25772
the driver

 

It is very high temp man. May be not for the GPU in general but for GPU in VAIO F series IT IS!

My settings are 740 948 1540 and they are almost stable (sometimes 1 game crashes but I think Metro 2033 is just almost as bugged as STALKER).
My highest temp was 72 degrees) usually 67 Degrees.

But don't worry, with our help you may get normal temp soon
What is your BIOS for a start? Looks like you never changed it! Also repeat please what Nvidia drivers you have? And where your lappy is situated? What program U used for getting info about temp, built-in windows's one?
How old is your F11? Have you ever cleaned vent?
Go here. You may take additional information about OC profiles if you have never read that http://forum.notebookreview.com/son...ivers-update-197-16-gt-330m-10de-0a29-24.html

 

GeForce.com - Get the Most Out of Your GPU

Updated as well with no issues yet. GT 330M 1GB

 

Same here :smile: with GT 330M 1GB

 

Hi Fishon, what improvments are there with this driver, also it is in beta at the moment, so is it not a risk to install it.

 

Thanks and sorry to hear that, hope you get better soon.

I never knew there was a seperate site from the nvidia one. So from now on all the newest drivers should work as long as they are from geforce.com?

I just installed the beta and they seem to be working fine.

 

Read down on the page and look at the Release Notes. They describe the performance improvements. You can also benchmark before and after installing the beta drivers. You're not likely to see a massive improvement.

It's beta, so there could be problems. If there are, then you uninstall and reinstall a previous version. No harm done.

 

I'm gonna give them a try when I get to a faster internet connection. I'm playing Final Fantasy XII on ps2 emulator and need all the GPU power I can muster.